I am a physician, currently practicing as an Anesthesiologist. My other passions are finance and investments. As of 2013, I have passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams, all in my first attempts. I received my Masters of Business Administration degree in 2008. I received my certification as a securities specialist from the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2009.

Month: August 2015

AlDub (stands for the love team of Alden Richards and Yaya Dub) is breaking all sorts of social media records recently. Ratings for Eat Bulaga, the show that features the two, are at their highest in years.

It is expected that many companies will cash in on the popularity of the AlDub phenomenon. To get the business of the millions of AlDub fans, these companies (especially the larger ones), should compensate Eat Bulaga, Alden and Maine Mendoza (who plays Yaya) for riding on the trend. This is especially true if the likeness of “AlDub” is used.

Social media is in everything this days, even in finance and investments. Unfortunately, finance related stuff doesn’t really trend in social media; at least here in the Philippines. The hashtag #ParaSaEkonomiya (For the Economy) is often used these days, but most of the posts don’t really relate to the economy. Sadly that hashatag has become a punchline.

Beginning with this post, Finance MD will regularly feature social media posts related to Philippine finance and investments. #ParaSaEkonomiya indeed.

The markets are not doing good right now. The Philippine Stock Exchanged (PSE) just experienced “Bloody Monday” on August 24 (news here). A down market doesn’t necessarily mean that it is already in a bear phase. Unfortunately, there are investments that have already entered bear territory in 2015,

The bear seems to be winning in 2015. Bull and Bear Statues near Frankfurt Sock Exchange. Image by EvaK from wikipedia.org

For new investors, I suggest reading investment related books. Unfortunately, many of the books available are either thick, difficult to understand textbooks or self-help, motivational, “get rich now” books that offer no real-world value.

That’s why it is a joy to come across a book that reaches out to new investors, that uses simple terms, and that doesn’t promise the reader that he will be on the expressway towards riches or financial freedom.

You Won’t Get Rich in the Stock Market Until You Change the Way You Think About It by Andrew Stotz. Image from Andrew Stotz

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Philippines always have great meal deals going on. Why are people drawn to combo meals? There are savings when you buy a combo meal than buying all the components ala carte. Savings from a promo is a very important factor in purchase decisions.

However, the computations that KFC uses for what you save with its meal deals are confusing and inconsistent.

Here is one of the deals being heavily promoted recently by KFC:

KFC Spaghetti Party Bucket

I love spaghetti and I love KFC chicken… What I don’t like is the measly PHP 70 savings with this deal. KFC Spaghetti Party Bucket Promo. Image from kfcdelivery.com.ph

Do you only really save PHP 70 with this combo instead of buying everything separately? KFC messed up the computation on this one. Here’s why:

Globe Telecom, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Yondu, has formed a joint venture with Salud Interactiva to launch KonsultaMD – a 24/7 health hotline service manned by skilled and licensed Filipino doctors who provide medical assessment and advice, including basic healthcare and permissible medication over the phone. – from press release at Globe website here

There’s a new doctor in town! Konsulta MD logo. Image from konsulta.md

“KonsultaMD is our response to the pain points in Philippine healthcare. The growing population puts further pressure to an already-strained healthcare landscape which is suffering from lack of experienced healthcare professionals, under-resourced public hospitals, poor health infrastructure and limited accessibility” said Gil B. Genio, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Business and International Markets.

Though coming from good intentions, Konsulta MD seems to be a terribly bad idea. Here are the reasons why: